A flavor of German-American Weizen that will satisfy any Weizen lover. A "true brew" experience for the experienced homebrewer.
Makes 5 gallons:
5 lbs. malted barley grain (lightly crushed - American 2 or 6 row)
4 lbs. malted wheat grain (lightly crushed)
1 lb. dry Weizen malt extract
1 tsp. Gypsum
1 oz. Hallertaur or Saaz hop pellets or flakes
1/4 tsp. Irish Moss
Wyeast Weizen (#3068)
1 1/4 cup light dry malt extract (for bottling)
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Decide if you need to pretreat you brewing water. If you can taste chlorine or floride in your cool water, then you should boil roughly 8 gallons of water for 20 minutes and let cool before beginning the following process. (treated water can really make this beer taste funny.) If your water is acceptable, proceed.
MASHING
This refreshing recipe requires a temperature-controlled mash. Rest (steep) crushed grains (barley and wheat) and gypsum in 2.25 gallons of 130 - 135 degree water for 30 minutes. Raise the temperature by adding 1.25 gallons of 200 degree water. Try to hold temperature around 150 degrees for 15-20 minutes. While you're waiting, bring 4 gallons of water to 170 degrees. Raise the temperature again to 155-160 by adding 1 gallon of 170 degree water. Hold for 15 minutes. Sparge (rinse) grains into your brew pot using 3 gallons of 170 degree water. Your brew pot should now contain approximately 6 - 6.5 gallons of wort.
BREWING
Bring wort to a boil. Add dry Weizen malt extract and stir well to desolve completely. Immediately add 1/2 oz. of hops (in hop bag.) Boil with a (very) loose lid (or no lid) for 60 minutes. At 50 minutes into the boil, add the Irish Moss. At 58 minutes, add the rest of the hops (in a hop bag.) Remove from heat, remove hops and cool as quickly as possible to approximately 80 degrees.
FERMENTING
Pour sloppily (splash mixing) into primary fermenter to aireate wort. Briskly mix or shake to continue aireation for a minute or so. Pitch yeast, close fermenter and attach fermentation lock. Let ferment at approximately 70 degrees for 3-5 days. You'll notice the bubbles coming through the lock begin to slow significantly when it is time to move to a secondary fermenter. Quietly (not sloppily) syphon into secondary fermentor. Let stand a minimum of 5 days or when bubbles are negligible when watching for 60 seconds, whichever comes first.
BOTTLING
In a medium sauce pan, boil 1 1/4 cup of light dry malt extract in 2 cups of water. Let cool enough that is feels only warm to the touch - but only touch the pan, DON'T PUT YOU FINGER OR HAND INTO THE MIXTURE! Pour mixture into your bottling bucket. Then quietly siphon your beer into the bucket. Bottle and let beer stand at approx. 70 degrees for one week. Move to a cooler room or basement if you have one for another week or two. If not, keep at 70 degrees for a week or two. Serve at normal refridgerator temperature. This beer will be cloudy when cooled, so don't panic. Enjoy!!